Top-class line up for iShares Cup at Cowes

There’s just two weeks to go until Round 3 of the iShares Cup Sailing Series, and the UK leg of the Extreme 40 circuit is shaping up to be truly spectacular. Racing takes place from 2-4 August as part of Skandia Cowes Week, which runs from August 2-9. An awesome line up of 11 top-class entries will be on the startline for the iShares Cup races, featuring some of the world’s best sailors: Round 1 winner, double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson, helming JPMorgan Asset Management; current series leader and British America’s Cup challengers TEAMORIGIN skippered by Rob Greenhalgh; and Round 2 winners and America’s Cup defenders Alinghi, with Ed Baird.

For the iShares Cup at Cowes these top teams will be joined by two new boats, both from America’s Cup challengers BMW ORACLE Racing, with a squad that includes the America’s Cup and Olympic gold medal winning Russell Coutts, offshore multihull champion Franck Cammas, top match racer James Spithill.

With the next America’s Cup due to be sailed in multihulls between Defenders Alinghi and Challengers BMW ORACLE Racing, this will be the first time the two have sailed against each other since last year’s America’s Cup – and the first time the Defender and Challenger have raced each other from Cowes since the first America’s Cup in 1851.

“Funny enough, I’ve never raced at Cowes, so it’ll be good to finally get there. It should be quite a bit of fun,” explainded James Spithill. “The Extreme 40s are pretty exciting, and we’ve sailed them in quite a bit of breeze as well so we’ve enjoyed it, and I’m sure Cowes will provide some pretty interesting conditions.”

But most have already sailed plenty in the area. Round 1 winner Shirley Robertson, is hoping for another big performance for JPMorgan Asset Management, sailing out of her hometown. “This event is a special one for us as we will be sailing on home territory, so I hope that we can pull out some good races and stay on the podium.

“This time last year I was preparing for my first ever Extreme 40 event (pictured), it is amazing how quickly the last 12 months have flown by! I feel like we have learnt so much as a team and I am excited to be lining up against the likes of Russell Coutts and the other America’s Cup crews. I am sure that the AC teams will mean we will all be raising the bar on the water and it will keep us all on our toes.”

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